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IMPACTS OF THE FARM FINANCIAL CRISIS OF THE 1980s ON RESOURCES AND POVERTY IN AGRICULTURALLY DEPENDENT COUNTIES IN THE UNITED STATES |
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| Authors: | Steve H. Murdock F. Larry Leistritz Rita R. Hamm |
| Affiliation: | STEVE H. MURDOCK has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Kentucky. He is currently Professor and Head of the Department of Rural Sociology in the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in the Texas A&M University System. He is the author or editor of six books and numerous articles on resource and agricultural development in rural areas in the United States.;F. LARRY LEISTRITZ has a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska. He is currently Professor of Agricultural Economics at North Dakota State University. He is the author or editor of seven books and numerous articles on resource economics and development in rural areas in the United States.;RITA R. HAMM has a Master's Degree in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University. She is currently a Research Associate in the Department of Rural Sociology in the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in the Texas A&M University System. She is the editor of a book and numerous articles on the impacts of large-scale developments in rural areas in the United States. |
| Abstract: | The farm financial crisis of the 1980s has had a major effect on agriculturally dependent areas in the United States. The crisis has resulted in a large proportion of producers leaving agriculture, in a substantial decline in the number of rural businesses, and in the support for rural service bases. Although extensively analyzed, the crisis' impacts on resources and poverty have not been adequately evaluated. This paper examines such impacts using parameters derived from USDA data and from extensive surveys of producers, business operators, and employees in rural communities. The results show effects on populations, services, and income that could lead to a substantial increase in the rates of poverty in these counties. The paper concludes that the crisis, if left unaddressed, may result in a long-term loss of economic opportunities, accentuated rates of poverty, and reduced potential for economic development in agriculturally dependent areas in the United States. |
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